A Break In the Peace
by Castryn Kavitai
Summary: All is calm in the Valley of Peace when out of nowhere, a new enemy arises and Master Shifu is hurt. Will Tigress be able to keep her cool and help her beloved master recover, or will this be Shifu's last battle? Rated K  for mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination and a want to share these imaginations with my fellow fan fiction lovers! Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do._

**Chapter One: Morning Meditation**

Blinking open her sleep-bleary eyes, Tigress yawned as the pre-dawn sunlight shone into her room, shinning on her face and waking the female warrior up. Rolling out of bed, Tigress then turned around and proceeded to fold up her blanket and sleeping mat, placing them in a neat stack in the corner of her room, her pillow lying on top of the pile. With her room now clean and ready for the new day, the young master moved over to the small mirror to fix her appearance. Picking up her ebony wooden brush, Tigress began grooming her fur which had become rumpled while she was sleeping. Pulling the brush through across her body, Tigress made sure to pull out any tangles and allowed her hair to fluff up. After this was accomplished, she pushed herself to her feet and gave herself a good shaking, allowing her fur to smooth itself out and lay flat against her body.

Studying herself one last time in the mirror, Tigress gave a small purr of approval before going over to the small wardrobe that help her clothes. Opening the ornately carved wooden door, Tigress pulled out her usual outfit. For her shirt, there was a deep burgundy red kimono-like vest with solid black trim, decorated with a gold and black bamboo pattern tracing all around, held together by a bright golden cord looped through the front border. She then pulled out her usual black yoga pants with the white, gold, and black striped trim that rested at her ankles as well as the matching striped Shaolin waist wrap; her open-toed sandals sat wating for her by her sliding paper door. Dressing herself quickly, Tigress quietly padded over to her door and slipped her shoes on, doing her best to keep quiet so she did not wake the rest of the members in the bunk house.

Normally, Tigress would have then just sat down and meditated for the rest of the time until the morning gong rang out to wake the rest of her fellow masters, but today was Sunday, which was the weekly rest day at the palace. Every Sunday the gong would sound a couple hours later than usual and even then, many of the habitants would it ignore the wake-up call and sleep in much later. Tigress, however, had woken up with an odd ominous feeling and decided that, not only was she not going to sleep in late, but she would, in fact, get up much earlier than normal. The young tiger quietly slid her door open and stepped into the hallway, sliding the door shut behind her; she then quietly left the bunkhouse and stepped outside, meeting a comfortingly cool pre-dawn summer morning.

Tigress, wanting to take herself up for the morning, set off sprinting down the steps that led the barracks, setting her destination to Peach Tree Hill. Only when she got there did Tigress finally take a moment to let herself relax, closing her eyes and tilting her pleased face up towards the sky, enjoying the soft breeze billowing the soft fur on her neck and face. Lost deep in this extraordinary sensation, the usually alert master took no notice of the small mammal that had quietly joined her on the hilltop.

"You are up rather early, Master Tigress" Grandmaster Shifu commented amusedly. "What brings you to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom so young on a rest day?"

"M...Master Shifu!" Tigress gasped, jumping out of her trance and giving her master and respectful bow which he returned. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake, my apologies for not staying alert."

"You were distracted, Tigress, of course your alertness was a bit off. I simply wish to know what it is that has your mead caught in the clouds today." Shifu gave her a small smile and tilted an eyebrow at her, trying to coax her into explaining her problem.

Tigress gave a small reluctant sign before beginning her explanation, not sure of what to say.

"I'm not really sure Master; I just remember waking up feeling very wary, of some sort of threat. It's been so calm the best few days, only that one raid on the Food Market a few days ago and that was so easy it's hardly worth mentioning, but it feels like there's some sort of bad omen hanging on the wind, and it worries me." She sighed again before looking at her master, only to be shocked when she saw a knowing look in his calm azure-colored eyes.

"I understand what you're trying to explain to me, Tigress. When I myself woke up this morning, there was a very peculiar feel deep in the back of my mind as if I had woken from some sort of bizarre dream, with no recognition of the events that had occurred. At first, I assumed I had just had some kind of nightmare and just blew the feeling off, but after hearing your story, I feel the need to keep a close watch on what goes on the next few days. As Master Oogway would use to tell me: "Our minds have an odd way of warning us of events to come" and I think this might just be one of those types of situations."

"what should we do, Master Shifu?" Tigress asked, concern growing in her voice; what could be wrong in the Valley of Peace during such a usually calm time of year?

"For right now, just continue on as usual, while keeping a cautious approach to anything that might forecast a bad turn of events." Tigress gave a bow to indicate she understood Shifu's order and looked as if she was about to turn and leave before Shifu spoke again. "My initial intention for coming here was to perform my earlier meditation; it's actually quite lovely to relax with the gentle breeze blowing on your face and, if you wait long enough, you even can see the first rays of sunlight dye the sky the most brilliant shades of orange and pink, lighting up the entire village. I know this is rather unusual of me, but I would like to request for you to join me." And he gave her another small smile.

Tigress's eyes light up in delight; Shifu hadn't asked her to join him to meditate in years! The young master quickly agreed and joined him as they sat cross-legged under the ancient peach tree, closing their eyes and letting their minds and bodies relax as the sun began to rise over the prosperous valley they both called 'home.'

_**Author's Note:**__** Alright, well here's chapter one! Love it or hate it, I want to know! I'll do my best to keep it updated as often as possible, but I do get distracted easy and I'm horrible with Writer's Block occasionally. However, I hope you can hang a log with me. Let the Ku Fu Action Awesomeness BEGIN!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination and a want to share these imaginations with fellow fan fiction lovers! Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do._

**Chapter Two: A Master and A Father**

Shifu took in a relaxing breath of crisp morning air, allowing the pull of nature to capture his mind and pull him away from his daily thoughts. However, they merely brought him to the current…situation sitting right beside him: his adopted daughter and one of his most talented students, Master Tigress. Even since the heartbreak Shifu had taken from losing Tai Lung, the aging red panda had closed off his feelings in order to prevent himself, and any others, from the hurt and betrayal he once faced. Though, in recent times, it had finally dawned on him (due to a particular chubby and goofy panda) that instead of protecting those he cared about, he was only causing them the same amount of pain he wanted to avoid. Which brought him to his current state: as the sky filled with the blindingly bright colors of the new dawn, master and student (as well as father and daughter) sat together, meditating under the ancient but well respected peach tree.

Opening his eyes to meet the bright hues of pinks and yellows that filled the summer sky, he turned his head just the slightest bit to get a glimpse of his adopted daughter. Tigress sat cross-legged with her paws resting on her knees, her head tilted slightly back with her face lifted to the sky, her bright orange eyes concealed behind her eyelids while her face seemed to gleam with an inner joy Shifu hadn't seen there in a long time. Her soft orange and white fur glowed in the bright sunbeams, highlighting her bold and arching stripes; not a single villager in the Valley could argue against Tigress's beauty. Shifu gave a small, almost sad, smile as he admired his student, pleased to see her at peace once again; she had been very tense as of late and Shifu had started to worry for her.

"Tigress" he spoke softly, the edges of his lips twitching lightly when he said her name. Shifu had never told anyone, but he absolutely _loved_ his daughters name; it was full of pride and un-masked strength. "Open your eyes and look at the valley."

Tigress instantly obeyed her master, and her eyes widened in shock at the scene before her: the entire valley was alight in a bright shining light, the rooftops glowing bright browns, reds, and greens, and the path leading up to the Palace looked like a trail of molten gold! Treetops shone their colors with pride and the grass glowed the brightest green the young master had ever seen; the whole region was beautiful, and she couldn't help but face Shifu and give him a grateful smile.

"Master" she breathed, awed almost beyond being able to speak. "This is incredible! I can't believe I never notice how…how _beautiful_ the Valley was before now! Is it always like this in the morning?"

"Not exactly" Shifu began, giving Tigress an amused smile. "When there are clouds on the horizon blocking out the sun's light, sometimes they will light up like fires, burning holes in the sky!" he began in an enchanted voice, only to add in his sore sense of humor: "or it just looks dull and grey; then no one ever wants to get up and the whole day goes wrong." His ears gave a slight drop in irritation just by thinking of the idea; his students had come to learn that Shifu _hated_ the rain, mostly because when-ever he got wet, Shifu smelt like dog and Shifu had a strong dislike for any member of the canine breed.

Just then the morning gong sounded, and Master Shifu and Tigress finally noticed the activity starting up down at the Palace below them. The attendants of the Palace, mostly consisting of geese, pigs, and rabbits (the usual inhabitants of the Valley of Peace) were bustling to and fro, going about their daily chores to keep the Palace running in the highest condition possible. Down in the bunkhouse that the Furious Five, Po, and Master Shifu shared, the lightest aroma of food drifted up to them.

"Smells like Monkey is throwing together a batch of banana pancakes for breakfast." He commented lightly to Tigress. "How about we go join the others before that Panda gets up and eats it all?" he joked lightly, sharing an amused grin with Tigress; no spite was meant in the comment, just a light tease to keep the peaceful mood between the two of them.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Master." Tigress agreed, standing up and giving him the usual respectful bow. "Thank you for allowing me to join your meditation session this morning, Master Shifu."

Shifu returned her bow before giving his reply. "It was a pleasure to have you with me, Master Tigress. I hope we have the chance to share more moments like this together in the future." He replied, giving an inward smile and he saw the young tiger's tail give a quick swish of excitement; he was happy Tigress was still willing to give him the chance to attempt to bond with her, after he had already wasted so much precious time. Even Master Oogway had tried to convince him to 'lighten up' around the young warrior and just try to forge some type of paternal bond; he just couldn't bring himself to do it, memories of Tai Lung clouding his thoughts.

Giving his a head a light shake to clear his thoughts, Shifu clasped Oogway's staff in his paw before turning around and heading back towards the delicious scent of pancakes, Tigress following just a few paw-steps behind him.

_**Author's Note:**_** Well, this chapter is a tad bit shorter than the last one, and not as 'eventful' as I thought I was going to make it, but part of me really wanted to give Shifu and Tigress another good bonding moment, but it Shifu's perspective this time. I hope it came out as good as I thought it did, and enjoy! I'll get started on Chapter 3 ASAP! (Which is Cassie's term for: After Supper and Practice (cello)!)**


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination. Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do. I am adding one of those OC's in this chapter, but you do not actually meet them till later._

**Chapter Three: **

Shifu and Tigress entered the kitchen of the bunkhouse to find Viper and Crane seated at the table, waiting hungrily as Money started stacking up a batch of freshly made banana pancakes; they all looked at the door as Shifu entered, Tigress trailing behind him a few paces, and the three rose to bow respectfully to their master, who gave them a quick bow in return. The aging red panda strode over to the table and leapt onto a chair in the far left-hand corner as Tigress took the seat opposite of his; it was very evident of the other three's faces that Viper, Crane, and Monkey had not expected their master to join them.

"I take it that the panda will sleep in till late noon as usual today?" Shifu observed, glancing around the table. "Though, I find it odd that Mantis is still asleep; he usually rises before dawn, even on rest days."

"I'm afraid Mantis has come down with a minor cold, Master." Viper replied, explaining the absence of the missing Furious Five member. "He asked me for some herbal tea after everyone has had a chance to eat. I tried to tell him to let me bring in to him sooner, but he said he just wants to rest for now and that he rather not be a bother." Shifu gave a curt nod to her.

"How long do you think he will be ill?" Tigress questioned. "It's always bad news when one of us gets ill."

"Especially if something goes wrong in any of the little villages in the valley." Shifu agreed, thinking back to a few years ago when Crane had the flue during a bad invasion on the Farmer's Square, and without his help, Monkey had taken a bad fall and broke his left leg. "I hope all goes well until he has had enough time to heal." Shifu added in an unbelieving voice; it seemed when-ever one of the Five, himself, or Po was unfit for combat, something _always_ went wrong.

"He should be good and healthy in just a few days, Master." Viper reassured, remembering all the previous times when Mantis was ill. "When he gets sick, Mantis is out completely for a day, sometimes two, but then he back to normal the next day; he may get hit hard, but he also gets back up quickly!"

Just then, before anyone else could contribute anything else to the conversation, Monkey turned from the stove and set a hot steaming plate of pancakes on the table. Everyone allowed themselves to relax, assured that Mantis would recover just fine, and focused on filling their empty stomachs. As a sign of honor, Shifu was allowed to get a pancake first, and then everyone followed suit. Breakfast went smooth and calmly for the most part, until Po can tripping into the room, acting like a maniac.

"Panda!" Shifu barked at him from his pace at the table "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

"Master Shifu!" Po gasped, giving him an upside-down bow from his place on the floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean to burst in like that, everyone; I just had the worst dream that the Jade Palace had been attacked and that I found you all here in the kitchen, injured or maybe even dead! I had…"

As Po continued to ramble on, going into all sorts of vivid details about his dream, Shifu just rolled his eyes and stared at the table; anyone who looked closely at Shifu would have noticed the small worried crease on his forehead and slightly anxious mood-change. The old master was actually worked up about Po's dream, mostly because of his and Tigress's shared feelings of misfortune; and now with Mantis out of commission…

"I think it would be advisable if we all stay alert for the next week or so" Shifu broke in, causing every face to turn towards their master. "Master Oogway always taught me to take nightmares as omens towards dangers that may be approaching, so Po's dream, on top of an earlier weird feeling I experiences myself and shared with Tigress, is enough warning for me to know to stay on alert. Do you understand?"

"Yes Master" the chorused together, bowing to Shifu. Po then rolled over and went to join the table sitting near Shifu and Tigress. "So, Master Shifu, what pleasure finally brings you to the table this morning? You usually never eat with us!"

"I smelt the pancakes Monkey were making all the way from the Peach Tree where Tigress and I were having a morning meditation, and I guess smelling them gave the two of us a taste for them; so here I am." And just shrugged, bemused at the Panda's excitement. Even in the morning, the Dragon Warrior was as bursting full of energy as ever!

As the inhabitants of the Jade Palace began waking and the Furious Five, Master Shifu, and the Dragon Warrior ate their breakfast, a shadowed figure stalked the Valley below, it's blood-shot eyes set on the palace, plotting it's destruction and the slaughter of the figure's archrival.

"Soon" it hissed to itself in a fatigued voice, filled with malice. "Soon he shall pay!" it rasped before sinking back into the shadows, hopeful of catching some rest before setting _the plan_ into motion.

**Author's Notes:**** Alright, I know it's a lot shorter than the other ones, and I hate it that it took me so long to get it up, but here it is nonetheless. Hope you like it; might have been a little out-of-character with some of the moments, but I hope it was mostly accurate.**

**As for the end, no worries; you'll get to meet our little nemesis soon enough; he just needs some rest. Trust me when I say: he's going to wreak havoc all of the JP, seeing as he's already started messing with their minds unintentionally! xD Hope to get the next chapter up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination. Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do.  
>I am adding two of my own OC's in this chapter.<em>

**Chapter Four:**** Attack On the Palace**

Grandmaster Shifu, Po, and the furious Five (excluding ill Mantis) were gathered in one of the many fields at the Jade Palace. Normally, when it was later in the afternoon like today, they would all be inside the training room, but as it was a rest day, the gathered in the fields instead where Shifu taught them other lessons that did not consist of physical activity. This practice would allow them to train their minds while allowing their bodies to rest, which would actually improve their performance. Most of these meetings usually went well and uneventful; aside from Shifu having to constantly whack Po and Monkey with Oogway's staff to wake them up, for the two constantly fell asleep during these lessons. Today was different: both Monkey and Po were wide awake and alert, still disturbed from the ominous feeling from earlier that morning. Everyone was trying to relax, but no one could shake off the idea that something very wrong was going to happen.

"Are any of you actually paying any bit of attention to these lessons today?" Shifu snapped for the third time that hour, both: irritated by his students scattered attention, and conscious of his own sense of danger.

"Yes Master!" his five present students chorused in unison, snapped out of their daze once more by their master's shouting.

"If that is so, then care to tell me what were just discussing, hmm?" he queried, shifting his glare from one student to the next until he had glared at all five of them for a short while. However, before any of his students could respond, and loud explosion sounded from the main palace building, making master and students jump to their feet, Shifu already shouting orders at them.

"Crane, Monkey, Viper: you three get to the palace and get anyone there out and away from the area; we don't what is going on and we don't want any victims. Tigress, Po: you two come with me to find the source of the disruption and take care of it! Remember everyone, Mantis is sick so do not rely on his abilities today; we have to be flexible and allow for what-ever effects his absence might cause, understand?" and when they gave another chorus of "Yes Master!" he nodded his head, signaling them to follow his orders.

As the six warriors raced back to the palace, more crashes sounded and there were frightened screams from some of the residents of Jade Palace. As they neared the source of the chaos, Po, Tigress, and Shifu saw a small group and bandits scarring a small group of young kids into a corner. Tigress let out a challenging roar and launched at the three, a few well-skilled punches and kicks taking the unskilled culprits down with ease. Monkey landed beside Tigress and gathered the young ones onto his back before leaping onto the rooftops and running off to bring the little kids to safety.

Another group of bandits rounded the corner and before they could even make their move, Po and Shifu launched right into combat, throwing swift blows to their enemies, aiming to end the battle swiftly and with very minimal collateral damage. Distracted with his current brawl, Shifu never noticed the avian attackers coming right for him until they were right above him and Po, but Tigress quickly leapt over her Master's head and commenced combat with the winged assailants. Not long after, Crane, Monkey, and Viper joined the fight, informing the others that they had gotten everyone else away from the current battle area.

"Good work." Shifu praised them while keeping his focus on his foes. "Let's take this lot out and then check the palace for any strays. You have all done very well and have proven that the Jade Palace is strongly defended!"

"Is that so, Shifu?" sneered an eerie voice. A large komodo dragon stepped out from where he had been hiding and glared at the Grandmaster. "You sound as cocky as ever, _old friend!_" he spat the last part out with revulsion, showing obvious hatred toward the red panda.

"_Kirai!_" Shifu snapped at the new arrival with disdain. "I thought Master Oogway and I made it very clear that you were to stay _far away_ from the Jade Palace!" he glared at the scarred reptile before him; they had once been friends in happier times, but then Kirai had tried to challenge Oogway and take over the position as Grandmaster of the Jade Palace. Not only had the challenge been impromptu and futile, but when he lost, Kirai attempted to poison the water supply and kill the residents of the palace had his plan not been discovered and thwarted.

"Oh? I just wanted to see an old friend of mine!" Kirai teased, giving Shifu and sly and leering grin. "Come now, Shifu, haven't you missed me at all?" he asked, faking a pained tone at the thought of being forgotten.

"I haven't missed you one bit!" the red panda hissed back, fur bristling with loathing; he dealt the final blow to his last attacker and turned to face Kirai. "I'll be happy to see you long gone in just a few moments." And he flung himself at Kirai, dealing a swift kick to the lizard's side, which Kirai matched with a well-aimed punch to Shifu's cheek. Both masters skidded back from the impact, but remained standing, stopping only a fraction of second to readjust their balance before jumping into more attacks, aiming any and all blows they could at one another.

The dragon warrior and the four present members of the furious five stood back and watched in pure amazement at the skill of two battling warriors; it was very clear how strong and skillful the pair of fighters were.

"**AWESOME!**" Po squealed, shifting from one foot to the other while bouncing on the heels of his feet. "Who ever thought we'd get to see Master Shifu take out the old Ex-Master Kirai in person like this?" he asked the others excitedly. "Kirai's one bad dude and it's said that both him, Junjie and Shifu were the three top students trained to be named successor to the Jade Palace!"

"That is correct. The three were set many tasks in order to determine who be named Oogway's successor when the time came, and as we all know, it was Master Shifu who won the competition." Tigress added with a nod.

"Kirai, however, couldn't accept the defeat and challenged Shifu multiple times and on many occasions for the title, and when that didn't work, he starting going after Oogway himself." Crane added; the story was well-known to nearly all of the members of the Jade Palace .

"But you lost, Kirai!" Shifu injected, bringing the five student's focus back on their Master's battle with the komodo dragon. "It's time you accept that it is not your place to be grandmast of the Jade Palace, and to leave here and never return!" Shifu yelled, throwing a well aimed kick at the lizard's stomach, sending the ex-master flying backwards into a wall. "The fight is over, Kirai. You have been defeated once more."

"Fine!" Kirai hissed in bitter rage. "But, be warned Grandmaster Shifu: this battle will be your last!" and before anyone could move, a rugged look armadillo shot through the ground right behind Shifu. The goon shoved a dagger deep into the master's shoulder, only missing the red panda's neck due to Shifu's quick reflexes which allowed him to pull away from his attacker. Shifu dropped to his knees, letting out a growl of pain.

"Master Shifu!" his students shouted instantly. Tigress rushed to her master's side as Po and the others commenced battle with the two thugs. However, a few quickly maneuvered dodges and attacks, and the two were dashing off, cackling with dark delight at the dilemma they had instigated.

**Author's Notes:** **Well…hey everyone. It's been awhile now, hasn't it? Heh…well, I'm back now and I really hoped you enjoyed the new update. I also hope you like Kirai and his "little friend" armadillo! xD I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks about it! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters; they belong to DreamWorks. I am merely a fan of the Movies/Series with a large imagination. Comments are always loved! Also, there may be a few OC's added along the way, which I will specifically state them, and if they are barrowed, give credit to their original creators. If you have any OC's that you wish to make a guest appearance in this story, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do.  
>Kirai and his armadillo team-mate belong to me.<em>

**Chapter Five:**** Toxic Wounds**

"Let them go" Shifu commanded as his students stood there, torn between the need to help their master and chasing after the goons that attacked him. "Crane, take to the skies and observe them to make sure that they leave the Valley of Peace. They are only banished from the Valley; beyond that, it is out of our control." Crane bowed and took off, following his Master's orders.

"But Master!" Tigress protested, staring at Shifu with an anxious expression in her eyes. "They attacked you! Surely…"

"Enough!" Shifu cut her off, the pain in his shoulder taking a large toll on his patience. "I understand that you are concerned, Master Tigress" he amended "but this the Jade Palace's issue and as Kirai has already lost, I see no need to rub his defeat in his face even further; the more we press the issue the more erratic and cornered Kirai would feel, and as we all should understand, things can go very bad very quickly when one's opponent feels trapped."

"Yes Master" Tigress said, still a little reluctant to just let Kirai go, but her Master had made his orders clear and she wasn't going to disobey them.

"Master, you need to see the doctor to get that wound checked out." Viper said.

"There's no need to bother the doctor over a little scrape like this!" the aging panda snapped back stubbornly; Shifu hated doctors and always avoided dealing with them whenever possible.

"But Master…" Po began, exchanging worried glances with Tigress and Viper.

"I said I'll be fine!" Shifu growled at them, his tail starting to bristle as his patience gave way and anger started seeping through. "All I need to do is just clean the cut out with some warm water and bandage it up; it'll be fine in a matter of days. I've had plenty of person experience with wounds so would all of you stop being so stubborn and just obey your Master's orders?"

"Yes Master Shifu." They replied rather reluctantly, but obeyed nonetheless.

"Very well." Shifu said with a curt nod to them before giving out instructions. "Monkey, Po: I want the two of you to go ahead and let the rest of the residents know that the danger has passed and they may return." The two warriors bowed and ran off to complete their task. "Tigress, Viper: the three of us will clear up any wreckage caused by the fight that took place here; there isn't much and if the three of us work together diligently, it can all be done, even before Po and Monkey return with the others."

"What about your arm, Master Shifu?" Tigress asked, preparing herself for another reprimanding.

"I already said I would be fine!" Shifu replied back sternly, but calmer this time now that everyone was calming down and the chaos was back under control. "However, if it makes the two of you feel better, I'll go ahead and get it wrapped up and leave this jumble in your capable hands; I trust you two and your abilities and I believe that you can take care of this mess."

Both Viper and Tigress agreed, so the three bowed to each other and Shifu set off to the medical building at Jade Palace, where he got his shoulder cleaned out and wrapped in a clean bandage. The cleaning process has been long and painful as the warm water caused the raw flesh to burn and even when it was finally dried and wrapped, it stung painfully and Shifu could barely move his arm without letting out a low hiss of pain.

By the time hi would had been taken care of and the grandmaster had returned to the battle site, Tigress and Viper already had the broken barrels and boxes cleared out, and Po and Monkey had helped the residents settle back in. Crane had also returned with the comforting news that Kirai and his partner were now back over the border and heading far away from the Valley of Peace.

"You all have done very well today." Shifu said, bowing to his assembled students. Suddenly, the ground seemed the wobble and Shifu felt rather unsteady on his feet, quickly leaning on Oogway's staff to keep from falling over.

"Master, are you alright?" Po asked worriedly, unaccustomed to seeing his master so tired; concern was clearly evident in his bright emerald green eyes.

"Yes, Po, I'm fine." Shifu replied back, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the searing pain that tore through his shoulder. "I must still be a little drained from that scrap with Kirai; I'm not as young as I used to be." Shifu muttered the last part bitterly. Still feeling somewhat dizzy and fatigued, Shifu took an unsteady step forward.

Abruptly, the whole world seemed to flip upside down around the red panda, and his insides starting making sickening back-flips that made the abating master feel nauseous, and before he could make sense of what was going on, Shifu felt his face smack into the ground painfully as he fell-over, his whole body going limp.

"Master!" his students shouted, rushing to his side. Tigress reached him first, carefully turning her master over so that he lay upon his back, his eyes fluttering in vain as he struggled to remain conscious. "Master, what's wrong?" she asked him, all but whimpering in fear.

Shifu tried to open his mouth to respond, but his whole body appeared to be ignoring any commands his hazy mind tried to produce; his vision blurred and his eyes kept going in and out of focus before everything faded off to a seemingly endless blackness, the last image in his head was that of Tigress and the worried look she had in those bright yellowy orange eyes of hers.

**Author's Note:**** Oh no, Shifu! What in the world could be wrong? Well, let's just say Kirai hopes to get the last laugh on this one! I really hoped you all liked this chapter, even if it did feel a little short. I rather enjoyed writing this one and I'm exciting to start the next! I'm happy I just got two out within the same 24-hours and now a 3****rd**** one on the way! Thanks for all the support! It really means a lot and it's the force that keeps me writing!**


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